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An Address to Demetrianus

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 25

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

25. Provide, therefore, while you may, for your

safety

and

your

life

.

We

offer

you

the

wholesome

help

of

our

mind

and

advice

.

And

because

we

may

not

hate

,

and

we

please

God

more

by

rendering

no

return

for

wrong

,

we

exhort

you

while

you

have

the

power

,

while

there

yet

remains

to

you

something

of

life

,

to

make

satisfaction

to

God

,

and

to

emerge

from

the

abyss

of

darkling

superstition

into

the

bright

light

of

true

religion

.

We

do

not

envy

your

comforts

,

nor

do

we

conceal

the

divine

benefits

.

We

repay

kindness

for

your

hatred

;

and

for

the

torments

and

penalties

which

are

inflicted

on

us

,

we

point

out

to

you

the

ways

of

salvation

.

Believe

and

live

,

and

do

ye

who

persecute

us

in

time

rejoice

with

us

for

eternity

.

When

you

have

once

departed

thither

,

there

is

no

longer

any

place

for

repentance

,

and

no

possibility

of

making

satisfaction

.

Here

life

is

either

lost

or

saved

;

here

eternal

safety

is

provided

for

by

the

worship

of

God

and

the

fruits

of

faith

.

Nor

let

any

one

be

restrained

either

by

his

sins

or

by

his

years

from

coming

to

obtain

salvation

.

To

him

who

still

remains

in

this

world

no

repentance

is

too

late

.

The

approach

to

God’s

mercy

is

open

,

and

the

access

is

easy

to

those

who

seek

and

apprehend

the

truth

.

Do

you

entreat

for

your

sins

,

although

it

be

in

the

very

end

of

life

,

and

at

the

setting

of

the

sun

of

time

;

and

implore

God

,

who

is

the

one

and

true

God

,

in

confession

and

faith

of

acknowledgment

of

Him

,

and

pardon

is

granted

to

the

man

who

confesses

,

and

saving

mercy

is

given

from

the

divine

goodness

to

the

believer

,

and

a

passage

is

opened

to

immortality

even

in

death

itself

.

This

grace

Christ

bestows

;

this

gift

of

His

mercy

He

confers

upon

us

,

by

overcoming

death

in

the

trophy

of

the

cross

,

by

redeeming

the

believer

with

the

price

of

His

blood

,

by

reconciling

man

to

God

the

Father

,

by

quickening

our

mortal

nature

with

a

heavenly

regeneration

.

If

it

be

possible

,

let

us

all

follow

Him

;

let

us

be

registered

in

His

sacrament

and

sign

.

He

opens

to

us

the

way

of

life

;

He

brings

us

back

to

paradise

;

He

leads

us

on

to

the

kingdom

of

heaven

.

Made

by

Him

the

children

of

God

,

with

Him

we

shall

ever

live

;

with

Him

we

shall

always

rejoice

,

restored

by

His

own

blood

.

We

Christians

shall

be

glorious

together

with

Christ

,

blessed

of

God

the

Father

,

always

rejoicing

with

perpetual

pleasures

in

the

sight

of

God

,

and

ever

giving

thanks

to

God

.

For

none

can

be

other

than

always

glad

and

grateful

,

who

,

having

been

once

subject

to

death

,

has

been

made

secure

in

the

possession

of

immortality

.

Notes

46
“From the deep and darkling night of superstition” is another reading.
47
[Compare the Octavius of Minucius Felix with this treatise, and also the other apologists, e.g., vol. ii. 93.]